Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-07-02


dead and buried by now shall have to owe
You for the stamp. ] think it's threepence
I'll pay you when we meet again-that is, if
we ever do meet again I'm beginning TO
think that this siege will go on for all eter-
nity There, good by, my dear! God bless
youl When You get out Of it, mind you write
to The Times, i'll London, you know There,
don't cry am sure | should not cry if |
were going to get out of this place. for at
this point jess took the opportunity Of Mrs.
Neville's fervent embrace to burst out into a
sob or two
In another minute they were in the cart,
and Mouti was scramhling up behind.
Don't cry, old girl, said John, laying his
hand upon her shoulder. "What can't be
cured must be endured"
@Yes, John" she answered, and dried her
tears.
At the headquarter camp John went in and
explained the circumstances Of his departure
At first the officer who was temporarily III
command-the conimandant having been
wounded at the same time that John was
rather demurred to his going, especially when
he learned that he had passed his word not to
carry dispatches. Presently, however, he
thought better of it, and said he supposed that
it was all right, as he could not see that their
going could do the garrison any harm,
'rather the reverse, i'll fact, because you can
tell the people how we are getting on in this
God forsaken hole only wish that some
body would give me a pass, that's all where
upon John shook hands with him and left,
to find an eager crowd gathered outside.
The news of their going had got abroad,
and everybody was running down to hear the
truth of it, Such an event AS departure
out of Pretoria had not happened for couple
of months and more, and the excitement was
proportionate TO its novelty.
Il say, Mel, is it true you are SoingP'
hallooed out burly farmer.
How the deuce did you get pass" put in
another man with face like weasel He
was what is known as "Boer vernuker'
Qiterslly "a "Boer cheater'1, that is, a travel
ing trader whose business it is to beguile the
simple minded Dutchman by selling him
worthless goods at five times their cost. Il
have loads of friends among the Beers
There is hardly Boer in the Transvaa who
| does not know me"-("To his cost" put i'll a
| bystandcr, with a grunt-"and yet | have
tried all known-C'And you know Il good
| deal, said the same rude mainland | cant
get pass
you don't suppose those poor Beers are
| going to let you out when once they have got
| You in!' went on the tormeutor why,
| man. its against human nature. You've got
| all their wool; now do you think they want
| you to have their skin too3n
WhereupOn the weasel faced individual
| gave howl Of wrath, and pretended TO make
| a rush at the author of these random gihes
waiting half way for somebody to stop hin
| and prevent breach of the peace
| "Oh, Miss Croft'7 cried out a woman il
| the crowd. who, like jess. had been trapped II
| Pretoria while ON a flying visit, IF You car
| get line down to my husband at Martz
burg, to tell him that | am well, except fol
the rheumatism, from sleeping on the wei
| ground; and tell BIN to kiss the twins fol-
| me"
| 81 say, Mel, tell those Beers that we vii
| give them a id good hiding vet, wher
| Colley relieves us" sung out jolly youn.
| Engllshman in the uniform of the Pretoris
| carbineers. He little knew that poor Colley
| kind hearted English gentleman that h,
| was-was sleeping peacefully under si'
| feet of ground with Boer bullet through hi
brain.
Now, Capt Mel, if You are ready, W,
| must trek" said one of the Beers in Dutch
sulting the action to the word by catchin:
| the near wheeler sharp cut with his rldin.
| sjambock that made him jump nearly GU
| of the traces.
Away started the horses with a plunge
scattering the crowd to the right and left
| IL, a
| upon their h0meward journey.
For more than an hour nothing particnla
happened. John drove on at "A fair pace, an,
the two Beers cantered along behind At tn
end of this time, however, just as they wer
approaching the Red House, where Franz
Muller had obtained the pass from the genera
on the previous day, one of the Beers rode u
and told them, roughly enough. that the
were 70 outSpan at the house, where the
would get some food As il was past O'cloc
they were by no means sorry to hear this, am
accordingly John drew up the cart ahou
fifty yards from the place and they proceeds
TO get the horses out, and, having watche
them roll and drink, proceeded 10 the house
The two Beers. who had also off saddlei
were already sitting on the veranda, AN
one of them pointed with his pllA, tuwar
the little room. Taking the hint they entered
and found Hottentot woman Just scttn
some food upon the table
Here is dinner: let us eat it," said John
goodness knows when we shall get an
more" and, accordingly, he sat down.
As he did so the two Beers came in, an
one of them made some sneering remark tina
made the other look at them and laugh il
sultingly.
John flushed up, but took no notice. II
deed, he thought it safest not, for to tell TN
TRUTH he did not much like the appearance 9
these two worthless. One of them was bic
smooth, pasty faced man, with "A peculiarl
villainous expression of countcnance and
prominent tooth that projected in gltastl
isolation over his lower lip. The other was
small man, with sardonic smile and a prt
fusion of black beard and whiSkeIs on b
face, and long hair hanging on his shoulders
Indeed, when he smiled more vigorously tina
usual, his eyebrows came down and Ii
whlskers advanced, and his mustache wen
up till there was scarcely any face left an
be looked more like a great bearded mcnlts
than q man. This man was a Boer Of I'll
widest type from the far borders of lou
= panshere, and did not understand n word ,
English jess nicknumed him the Nildel
beeste, from his Likeness to that ferocior
looking and hairy animal. The other MAJ
on the contrary understood English perfectly
for he had passed many years of his life i
Natal having left that colony on account
some little indiscretion about thrashing Ka
frs that had brought him into collision wit
the penal laws Him jess named the Tn
corn, on account of his one cleaning tplsl,
The Unicorn was an unusually pious MAJ
and on arriving at the table he. to Johns a
tOnishment, gently but firmly grasped fl
knife with which be was about TO cut Il
meat
whats the NATTER" said John.
The Boer shook his head sadly "No wol
der you English are an accursed race, an
have been given over into our hands as Il
great king Agag was given into the hands
the Isiaelites. SO that we have hewed YOU
pieces. You sit down to meat and give J
thanks to the dear Lord, and he threw bac
his head and sung out a portentously Ion
Dutch grace through his nose. Not contel
with that, he set TO work to translate it I'M